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VANCOUVER–The Bacon brothers of Abbotsford protect themselves with bulletproof vests and armoured vehicles and are trailed by police even as they dodge bullets wherever they go.

Alleged to be in a gang known as the Red Scorpions, the brothers might not be directly responsible for the dozen or so shootings in Metro Vancouver in the last month that have left seven people dead, but their presence has cast a shadow of fear and intimidation in their hometown of Abbotsford.

The once rural town, 45 minutes east of Vancouver and a short distance from the U.S. border, has become an epicentre of criminal activity in the region.

Police have taken the unusual step of warning the general public and even friends and family of Jonathan, Jarrod and James Bacon not to get too close to them in case they are caught in the crossfire.

At least three innocent people have killed by being in the wrong place in the past 16 months.

Jonathan Barber was installing a car stereo in the Porsche Cayenne that belonged to one of the brothers when he was shot dead last May. Abbotsford man Ed Schellenberg, a gas fireplace technician, was killed inside an apartment when four gang associates were murdered in October 2007. Another innocent bystander, Chris Mohan, who lived next door, also died.

Schellenberg's brother-in-law, Steve Brown, said Abbotsford residents have learned they are not immune to the gang violence taking place in the bigger cities of Vancouver and Surrey.

"Abbotsford was galvanized by the death of Ed," said Brown. "We have morphed into the big city because of the number of criminals on our streets."

Brown said there is palpable anger among residents who believe too many criminals are getting charges stayed or are released on bail.

Hugh Stansfield, chief judge of the provincial court in B.C., said he understands why people say the justice system is too lenient.

"There has been an alarming outbreak of violence in the last month, disturbing violence," he said. "People are strongly motivated to try and make sure their community ... is safe."

Stansfield points out, however, there have been few gang cases that make it to trial and police haven't made any arrests that have brought suspects before the courts in the recent string of shootings.

The two younger Bacon brothers, Jamie, 23, and Jarrod, 25, are on bail for weapons charges and the eldest, Jonathan, had weapons and drug charges thrown out in 2005 because of improper search procedures.

The Red Scorpions and the United Nations are two of the most high-profile gangs to have emerged in the Metro Vancouver area. Both gangs have roots in Abbotsford.

Although police have made no arrests in the 2007 "Surrey Six" slayings, in which Mohan and Schellenberg were killed, many believe the two gangs were involved.

Federal Public Safety Minister Peter Van Loan, who met with officials in Abbotsford, Surrey and Langley this past week to discuss strategies for combating crime, said the proximity to the U.S. border had led to the emergence of gangs.

"Frankly over the years there has been a bit of a tolerance of a certain level of drug activity there," Van Loan said. "It's now gotten to the point where Vancouver and that area have the largest number of organized criminal outfits in the country."

A decade ago, there were 10 gangs operating in the region, said criminologist Darryl Plecas at the University of Fraser Valley in Abbotsford. Two years ago, there were 50 and police officials say there are now more than 139 active criminal organizations operating in B.C.

The number of customers for drugs hasn't changed significantly, but violence is up because there is more jostling among the suppliers.

Border security is tighter than ever but penetrable, and the potential gains are worth the risks. Plecas calculates that an average grow op can net $500,000 a year. With that much earnings from marijuana, even new players have easy access to guns and cash.

"These are rinky-dink criminals who are not sophisticated, not organized," said Plecas. "They're vying for power and position whether it's within their own group or rivals and because they're small it's not like the established organizations where you need permission from above to bump someone off."

The Abbotsford connections are time-honoured mafia culture, he said.

"It's like the Sicilian mafia. It started in Sicily but they moved from there," said Plecas. "That's like these guys. They grew up here, they have long-term friends, people they grew up with who are now part of the organizations."

Abbotsford Deputy Police Chief Rick Lucy said by alerting the public of the criminal associations in their community, residents know there is a local connection to the shootings that are going on throughout the region.

Police are urging businesses in the community to stop conducting transactions with gang associates and are asking neighbours and family and friends of gang members to turn them in.

"People are now seeing that Abbotsford is no longer a small quiet location," said Lucy.

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